News and stories | The National Lottery Heritage Fund

A man from a Pakistani family background on a outdoor walk, wearing hiking gear. He stands in front of a pile of logs

Naveed Bakhsh. Photo: Lawrence Scott

Blogs

‘Heritage is a bridge that connects me to my South Asian and Scottish identities’

South Asian Heritage Month grounds Naveed to his community’s past. It also makes space to talk about how to engage British South Asians with the UK’s cultural and natural heritage.

03/08/2023

A young girl holds a cut out of a golden bird above her head. In the background are two adults working on a ladder.

The Flight of the Little Golden Swallow, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, is an installation of 150 gold leaf swallows on retail stores, community buildings and schools in and around Enniskillen centre. The swallows were created by Fermanagh artists Simon Carman and Helen Sharp. Credit: Brian Morrison.

Blogs

Inspiring pride in place through a volunteer-supported festival

Heritage Innovation Fund grantee Paul Sternberg shares how cohort working has given him new ideas, and how that’s helping him measure impact and strengthen pride in place.

31/07/2023

Leeds Town Hall.

News

How we plan to invest over £1billion between 2023–2026

In the first of our three-year strategy delivery plans, we share details about our budgets, priorities and changes to our funding programmes.

26/07/2023

A black and white photograph of four nurses in uniform.

A photograph from the archives.

Stories

Three projects that celebrate 75 years of the NHS

From oral histories to archive collections, we’ve awarded over £980,000 to three projects that record and preserve memories of our National Health Service (NHS), for use now and in the future.

Three people use trowels and brushes to excavate around bones in an archeological dig

A dig on Holy Island

Blogs

How people power is solving workforce and environmental challenges

Heritage Innovation Fund grantee Brendon Wilkins on the benefits of working together and the progress he’s making towards his bold new vision for digital archaeology participation.

03/07/2023

Visitors taste food made with ingredients found in hedgerows at The Food Museum

Visitors take part in food recipe demonstrations, tasting ingredients found in hedgerows.

Stories

Case study: The Food Museum – Hedgerow

Sustainable Project of the Year joint winner, The Food Museum shares their experience of running a project that tackles one of our greatest environmental challenges – biodiversity loss.

A colourful banner commemorating the landing of the Empire Windrush, saying 'Docked here at Tilbury, June 22nd 1948'

Commemorative banner at Tilbury

News

Six projects celebrating the legacy of the Windrush generation

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush landing in the UK, we spotlight some of the projects celebrating and saving the heritage of those who emigrated here.

22/06/2023

Three people standing in front of a wall painted with a mural in green and blue colours

Publications

The lasting legacy of our investment in place

We take a look at the ongoing impact of our Great Place Scheme in England, a year on from our original end of project evaluation.

Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire.

News

Your thoughts on our new strategy, three months on

A new survey shows Heritage 2033 supports heritage need and is relevant to organisations’ priorities.

20/06/2023

A close up of a person conserving a painting on display in the National Portrait Gallery

A conservator works on a painting ready for the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery. Credit: David Parry

News

What can you see when the National Portrait Gallery reopens?

Following a transformational project, supported by a £9.4million National Lottery grant, the National Portrait Gallery in London has reopened its doors.

15/06/2023

Credit Hugh Rowlands

News

A boost for endangered red squirrels and pine martens in North Wales

We’re helping restore the balance of nature and boost the populations of two native species in North Wales.

13/06/2023

A group of 13 people standing outside a building listening to a tour guide as part of a community walking tour

A walking tour delivered as part of the Heritage Trust Network's National Lottery funded project.

Stories

How the Heritage Trust Network is bringing the sector together to learn and develop

Its mix of peer support, events and online resources is helping heritage organisations with everything from financial resilience and governance to inclusion and digital skills.

People enjoying an event in the courtyard of The Piece Hall

An event in the courtyard of The Piece Hall, which was revitalised with the help of National Lottery funding.

News

You can now apply for grants up to £10million

We’ve increased the upper limit of our National Lottery Grants for Heritage to support larger-scale heritage projects across the UK.

30/05/2023

The exterior of a restored victorian bank in Bacup, Lancashire

This Grade II listed former bank in Bacup, Lancashire was restored as a co-working hub and residential apartments

News

Apply for £70,000 grants to support built heritage regeneration organisations

The UK-wide programme will provide funding and support to community-led trusts that save historic buildings and give them a new lease of life to benefit local people.

24/05/2023

Conservators from the National Museum of the Royal Navy with the polar Kellett sledge flag

News

Rare polar sledge flag used in search for Franklin’s doomed expedition saved for the UK

The National Museum of the Royal Navy's campaign to save a rare polar expedition sledge flag has been successful, thanks to National Lottery funding.

22/05/2023

Two Skylark IX volunteers work on building a wooden rowing boat

Two Skylark IX volunteers honing their boatbuilding skills

Stories

Recovery and resilience: advice from a heritage project improving skills and wellbeing

In Dumbarton, Scotland, The Skylark IX Recovery Trust is preserving a Second World War rescue ship through heritage training opportunities to support local people, including those recovering from drug addiction.